Festival Dance 2: Gryffindor: summer solstice

::Amy stood still on the stage, the lights dimmed, waiting for the music to begin. This dance was to represent the summer solstice festival, and it was one of her favourite dances.

She stood still as the first few bars of music sounded softly in the theatre, and she prepared herself for the opening of the dance. The other person in this dance, Becky, didn't appear for a couple of seconds more.

The costume:



And the music:

http://www.freewebs.com/ducktheduck2/festivaldancemusic.htm

::The music began slowly, and Amy waited in the centre of the stage. The lights were on a cleverly timed programme, sweeping across the a warm golden glow to represent the sunrise.

Still standing in the centre of the stage, bare feet in first position, she raised gracefully first her right arm, lifting it gently to the right before bringing it back down to its original position at her side. She repeated this movement with her left arm, once again bringing it back down to its original position.

The music was now beginning to gather pace, and it was at this time the lights dimmed slightly again and Amy awaited Becky's entrance.::

::In the next part of the dance, Amy pirouetted to the side of the stage, letting the ululating music carry through the audience.

Then, as the music began to swell she returned to the middle of the stage, slowly, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. She then did some balancés de coté, moving from side to side, in a rocking step.::

::Rip watched from the side of the stage, checking that the ribbons on her pointe shoes were tied properly.

Amy had moved from the centre of the stage to the left corner, where she seated herself gracefully, the skirt of her ballet dress draping itself around her legs.

The music softened slightly, and rip ran onto the stage, arms positioned at her sides, making sure not to tread too heavily so the blockes in her shoes didn't make too much noise on the wooden floor of the stage.

She then commenced her solo part of the dance, incorporating several differnet ballet moves, as the screen at the back of the stage began to show a clip of a sunrise, moving slowly.

Amy then began the first part of the speech on the solstice, speaking rhythmically in time with the music as Rip continued to dance.::

::As Becky performed the solo part of the dance, Amy was seated at the left front corner of the stage, back erect and facing the audience. As much as she wanted to turn and watch Becky dancing on her pointe shoes, she could not.

She had to now play the part of speaker. In time with the music, she recited the first part of the presentation on the summer solstice.

"The Summer Solstice falls around Midsummer, which is also known as Litha by some Wiccans. Despite the longest day being the 21st June, Midsummer and summer solstice celebrations fall on the 24th June.

In Britain, Midsummer has been celebrated since the 13th century on Midsummer Eve, with the lighting of bonfire’s, feasting and merrymaking."

::Amy then stood up gracefully, and did several stag leaps around the stage, before coming to rest in the back right corner. Becky meanwhile had come to the front of the stage, and knelt down facing the audience.

Amy then began to do some hand movements, which appeared as though she was worshipping the sun that was on the blank screen at the back of the wall.

Becky, again, in time to the music, began to recite the next part of the presentation on the solstice.::

::Kneeling at the front of the stage, Becky recited the next part of the presentation.

Traditional Midsummer bonfires are still lit on some high hills in Cornwall. Another tradition which takes place in Cornwall is Golowan, which takes place at Penzance. Golowan lasts several days and ends in Maizey Day.

The celebrations of Golowan were centred around the lighting of fireworks, tar barrels and torches on the evening of the 23rd June every year (St John’s Eve).

::As she spoke the last paragraph, an image of Golowan celebrations appeared on the screen at the back of the stage.::

::Whilst Becky was finishing up speaking, Amy performed the next part of the dance.

She did a valdez into splitz, before bringing her leg around into a pike position. She then pushed into a bridge, and kicked over, and then ran off to the left of the stage, whilst Becky ran off to the right.

Moments later, they re-emerged, half-running gracefully, only to somehow be lifted into the air, as though by invisible strings.

The lights became warm colours of red and gold to represent the sun, and green and blue to represent the earth and the sky. They glided through the air seamlessly, twirling and whirling, and flipping over, going as high as the stage would let them.

Amy then came to rest at the front of the stage, still floating, and gazed out across the audience, as Becky kept up the aerial acrobatics behind her.::

::Still suspended mid-air with Becky floating behind her, Amy began the final part of the presentation on the solstice.

"The Summer Solstice is celebrated because it is the turning point at which summer reaches its height and the sun shines longest. It is also a reminder that the days will begin to shorten from that point onwards.



In Britain, the Summer Solstice is also celebrated by a gathering of people at Stone Henge, an ancient druid formation in Wiltshire. They go there to see the sun rise on the longest day of the year, and are said to go to Stone Henge because many believe that the stones were constructed with some religious astronomical purpose in mind."

::As the music began to wane, Becky lowered herself to the floor, her skirt billowing gracefully around her.

She landed on the pointes of her pointe shoes, before slipping down into the splitz. She then lifted her left arm up to the side of her head, and did the same with her right arm, before bringing them both down to the front as she laid her head on her front leg.

Her part in the dance was now done.

::As Becky came to her ending position, Amy cartwheeled once towards the back of the stage, then did a forward walkover, which looked very cool because of the skirt on the dress, it rippled like water as she flipped her legs over.

She then moved into a kneeling position, and slid her right leg out to the side, but remained kneeling with her left leg. She then raised her left arm over the side of her head, and laid her head onto her shoulder.

The music continued for a few more notes then ended, as the audience erupted in applause. The dance was over.::